The corona virus has arrived in the Bundesliga: the DFL expects ghost games, for example in Dortmund. But who pays for the ticket prices? A search for traces.
- The Bundesliga expects ghost games due to the corona virus on match day 26.
- DFL boss Christian Seifert considers games with viewers to be "not realistic".
- Tens of thousands of tickets from football fans threaten to expire.
Munich - The worst-case scenario is real: The German Football League (DFL) expects ghost games in the Bundesliga on the next match day. The chaos is already big.
"I find it inconsistent what we are doing. We are currently acting inconsistently in many ways, ”said 1. FC Köln's head of sports, Horst Heldt. DFL managing director Christian Seifert said on Monday: “We would prefer to play with spectators on the next match day. Unfortunately, this is not realistic. "
Coronavirus: PSG against BVB takes place without spectators
The Federal Ministry of Health under Jens Spahn (CDU) had made the recommendation to cancel events with over 1000 spectators - or to hold them in camera. The reason is the rapid spread of the corona virus .
The second leg of the Champions League round of 16 between PSG and BVB is already being played without spectators, by decision of the French authorities.
Coronavirus in Italy: empty ranks at Juventus against Inter Milan.
© picture alliance / dpa / Marco Alpozzi
The question arises: Who pays for the ticket prices ? And is there compensation for tens of thousands of football fans in the Bundesliga and beyond? The mixed situation is currently (still) spongy.
Coronavirus: Borussia Dortmund reimburses BVB fans the ticket prices
Before the Bundesliga game Gladbach against Borussia Dortmund (1: 2) at the weekend, Borussia from the Lower Rhine asked fans from the particularly affected district of Heinsberg not to come to the game despite tickets.
Gladbach now wants to reimburse the ticket prices and invite the appropriate supporters to the next home game in the Champions League or Europa League in Borussia Park .
In Paris , fans were put off for the time being after the police there ordered a ghost match against BVB on Wednesday (March 11). The PSG website said: "Fans who bought their tickets at ticketplace.psg.fr and season ticket holders will be informed very soon about the terms proposed by Paris Saint-Germain."
Borussia Dortmund , on the other hand, already informed on Monday afternoon that its fans would be refunded the ticket prices for the canceled away game.
Cancellation of the game due to the corona virus in football: who bears the costs?
“The organizers of sports events may have special insurance against event cancellation. In such event cancellation insurance, damage caused by "epidemics and epidemics" is generally excluded. In our opinion, this also includes the current situation around SARS-CoV-2, ” Allianz Versicherung told Deutschlandfunk . A limited number of insurance companies in turn included epidemics, it was said.
One option is that the state supports clubs in the Bundesliga, 2nd Bundesliga and possibly also 3rd League in coping with costs by reimbursing ticket prices . After all, the clubs have provided for the audience revenue in their calculations - and from the 3rd league this item also has an impact.
Not to mention other sports. It will also be tricky with a view to the pan-European Football Championship 2020.
No viewers due to corona virus: Federal Ministry of the Interior comments
“Of course, every organizer who is planning an event can cancel his event himself. First of all, this is something that arises from the thing itself. And as far as regulatory powers are concerned. It is the responsible state authorities, "said Steve Alter, spokesman for the Federal Ministry of the Interior, to Deutschlandfunk :" And if you raise the question of the obligation to pay the costs, it depends on who canceled an event, whether it was canceled by the public sector or by the organizers themselves. "
Corona virus: protagonists in the Bundesliga, 2nd Bundesliga and 3rd league sort themselves out
Ergo: Who pays depends on who ultimately canceled the event. At least that's the theory. Is that why clubs like RB Leipzig hesitate?
Obviously, all those involved are still sorting because of the resulting economic consequences from the corona virus .
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